Nepal On Tenterhooks: Arson And Vandalism Continue Unabated On Day 2 Of Stir, Army Deployed

(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, Sep 9 (IANS) Fear and tension continued to prevail on the streets of Nepal on the second day of unrest on Tuesday, as protestors vandalised properties of former Home Minister and many other leaders, and multiple government establishments.

Several areas of Nepal witnessed violence and clashes between police and protesters as the Gen Z escalated its stir and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, despite the government revoking the ban on social media on Monday night.

The curfew imposition in Kathmandu and other parts of the Himalayan nation seemed to have little effect as the protesters defied restrictions and marched on the streets, pelting stones and engaging in arson at multiple locations.

Visuals of arson, violence and vandalism played out on the TV channels where the protestors could be seen pelting stones at the police while the cops tried to disperse the mob.

Local media reported multiple incidents of protestors setting government properties ablaze as well as attacking the offices and residences of elected representatives.

Protesters set ablaze the private residence of Nepal's Information and Communication Minister, Prithvi Subba Gurung, who also serves as the government spokesperson. The residence of Nepalese Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, who stepped down on Monday, was also attacked by the protestors.

Stones were pelted at the residence of former Deputy Prime Minister Raghuveer Mahaseth in Janakpur.

Protesters also torched the Kirtipur Municipality building located in Naya Bazar and stormed the residence of ruling party leader and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, reported a local daily, Annapurna Post.

Since Monday, two ministers of the Oli government have resigned, but this has done little to placate them as they are insistent on the Prime Minister Oli's dismissal.

In fresh attempts to salvage the situation, Nepal PM KP Oli has called for an all-party meet on Tuesday at 6 p.m. to discuss the crisis and also made an appeal to the citizens to keep calm in this difficult hour.

Meanwhile, the Indian government has also issued an advisory for its nationals in the trouble-torn country to "exercise caution and adhere to the guidelines" in the wake of intensifying stir by the protesters, which has escalated to alarming levels despite security deployment across Kathmandu and other places.

The wave of violent protests has claimed 19 lives and left over 400 injured, reports said.

A day ago, the Himalayan nation erupted in protests over the social media ban and rampant corruption as thousands of youths, many in their school and college uniforms, marched towards the country's parliament waving flags and placards with slogans like "Shut down corruption and not social media", "Unban social media" written on them.

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